Fortune's Favorites
by Nana
Summary: **CHAPTER 2 UP!**In the not-so-distant future, Tokyo Metro police officers Inu Yasha and Ishida Miroku find themselves cast in a fate involving danger, love...and possibly death. Futuristic AU fic! Please R&R!^^
1. Hanyou

**Fortune's Favorites**

by

Nana

Prologue

**Hanyou**

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Hi and welcome to another fic! I'm kind of new at the AU Science Fiction thing, and I really don't know what to expect. This fic promises to be a lot darker and intense than anything I've written before, and hopefully it will get somewhere. It's also got some pretty weird interpretations of the elements found in the manga, but for the prologue, we'll start with a twist to the meaning of the word "Hanyou".

In choosing a title for this fic, I got inspired by the title of a book by Colleen McCullough (a favorite of mine!) although the contents cannot be more different than the topic at hand, as her book is all about the Roman Empire and Julius Caesar.

A brain hyped on coffee, a book on tarots, and Rehabilitation Medicine notes on prostheses and orthoses had prompted this insane quest! Anyways, I do hope you guys will give it a chance, and tell me what you think. Please do read and review!

* * *

**Disclaimer: **Whether they get thrown in situations of the past, present or future, the characters of Inu Yasha are never going to be mine. Boohoohoo…

* * *

**Kyoto**

**Februray 6, 2053**

**11:43 pm**

In the tradition of fortune tellers and cards, the girl peered out onto the world through her tarot. Her still, white fingers dealt the hand of destiny as she slowly turned the cards over, reading in them all the possibilities of a future that was currently still in the making.

A soft metallic click sounded as the electronic card landed face up on the hard wooden table.

_The Chariot…_

The emotionless grey eyes softened a little as the girl smiled. The final, most significant card had been drawn, and she was almost relieved at the results.

The card signified an ordeal, a great effort against overwhelming odds. And yet it had landed upright in her view. A sure sign of victory…

It meant the young police officer was going to live.

_Most interesting…_

The girl pushed back the ornate wooden chair in which she sat and slowly made her way to the window, where the night view of the Kyoto of 2053 awaited her.

Of all the cities in Japan, Kyoto alone had withstood the test of time and technology that had steadily engulfed every facet and way of life of people all over the world. In Kyoto, at least, strict preservation of the national treasures and ancient temples had ensured that memories of an earlier time would not be erased completely.

But how long before human destiny took its course? Already forces were on the move that may tip the fragile balance into their favor.

Like an invisible hand, they stretched themselves out until nothing could escape their single, collective shadow. Ever since artificial intelligence had been perfected some thirty years before, nothing was to be the same with humanity again.

But certain things had remained. There were still wars to be won, the same human fears and struggles to overcome, and superstition of all kinds to flourish.

The girl glanced back at the deck of electronic tarots lying on top of her expensive, antique table. The mysteries of prediction would, perhaps, continue to fascinate humanity as long as it had, she thought.

She could only hope so. She had a feeling her very life would soon depend on the deck of cards that she dealt, as well as the young officer whose life she had been following with growing interest in the past couple of months.

* * *

**Tokyo Metro Hospital**

**February 6, 2053**

**11:43 pm**

"You did everything humanly possible, so don't worry about it," Tokyo Chief of Police Ishida Mushin said in gruff tones. His low voice echoed strangely in the deserted corridor of the great hospital. "You brought him into the hospital in record time. I'm sure the doctors will be able to do something. In the meantime, why don't you go home, change out of your shirt and catch a few hours of sleep? Waiting here like this is not going to help any. Trust me."

Beside him, his nephew Ishida Miroku nodded mechanically. His pale face, streaked with grime and dried blood, looked deadly calm. Although his violet eyes gave away nothing, never once did they leave the closed, giant doors leading to the emergency room complex. It was apparent he had not caught a single word his uncle was saying.

_Shock_, the police veteran thought with an inward sigh. _Nothing new with that._

The Chief of Police stared down the younger Ishida's blood-stained shirt, partially hidden by his black trench coat, and sighed.

When one was enlisted as an officer in Homicide, this was always a possibility. A partner getting busted in the line of duty; in this case, a night-time investigation gone horribly wrong. He had tried to discourage the boy earlier on in joining the Metro Police, but hell…would Miroku listen to the Chief of Police? _Nooooo…!_

Behind those closed doors, Miroku's partner, rookie officer Inu Yasha was fighting for his life.

He was shot in the chest at close proximity, but he was lucky the guns used were primitive automatics dating back at least twenty years. He would not have survived if modern laser-guns had been employed to blast a hole right through the chest. He would have died immediately, faster than Miroku could have encased him in a cryogenic capsule that had temporarily arrested all bodily processes to enable them to get him to a hospital.

Still, he was shot at the heart. Within the tiny seconds Miroku had activated the capsule, Inu Yasha's blood had seeped right through his shirt.

His uncle was right. He had done everything humanly possible, but was it enough?

The doors finally slid open, and the doctor stepped out.

_Kami, is it really like this, or am I just tired? _Miroku thought, staring dumbstruck as the doctor seemed to be making his way to them in slow motion.

But in no time at all, the doctor was standing in front of them, was telling them--

"--Artificial heart replacement surgery, and the prognosis is good. He's young, he'll be able to make it."

"Ha! Did you hear that, Miroku?" Ishida clasped his nephew's stiff shoulders. "Did you hear that?! He's going to make it!"

Miroku opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

Inu Yasha was going to live. That hot-headed, foul-mouthed, impulsive bastard was going to live, and Miroku had never been more relieved in his whole life.

There would be plenty of time soon for disciplinary sanctions when Internal Affairs would mince the whole situation and analyze everything that had happened tonight, and there would be plenty of time soon to ponder over the consequences of the life-saving operation that was going to be performed on his partner, but right now, Miroku could not care less.

As the tight knot loosened slowly in his chest, Miroku slowly became aware of the ache in his arms, his legs, his head, everywhere. Abruptly, he sat down on one of the hospital chairs.

"You alright?" inquired his uncle. "C'mon. I'll take you home."

"Hai. In a minute," he said heavily, aware of nothing but the dull throbbing in his head.

It was only in the quiet confines of the car that a thought surfaced in his numb and tired brain.

_Artificial heart replacement…_

Because tenuous ethical codes had not yet approved the use of cloned human hearts, artificial heart replacement using synthetic, immunomodulated "intelligent" machine pumps had recently been the trend in heart trauma surgery.

Artificial heart replacement--meaning a youkai, slang for any machine with an intelligence chip, was going to be inserted to pump blood into Inu Yasha's body.

From now on, he was going to be a hanyou. A human with a machine part built in. The option was not exactly free from controversy, but any alternative was good enough right now, as long as it meant Inu Yasha was going to live.

Not, mind you, that Inu Yasha needed to know how concerned Miroku was over the whole thing. This part would be easy enough to keep as a secret.

* * *

**A short note on tarot cards: **I came across this interesting book about prediction, and it had a hefty chapter on Tarot Cards. It struck me as creepy and fascinating that these cards meant differently if they presented upright or inverted to the reader. Well, more next time on the cards as our fortune teller weaves her way through the story.

* * *

Posted: 10/07/02

Revised: 03/27/08 (Yes, you read right! It has taken nearly six years, I know. Sorry about the delay, but better late than never!)


	2. The Assignment

**Fortune's Favorites**

by

Nana

Chapter 1

**The Assignment**

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Guess who's **Hitomi Kagewaki**? The name, obscure enough to go unnoticed, is actually taken from the anime. Normally, the character goes by a very well-known name. More twists and turns in the chapter! Reviews are very welcome. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** Ah, but you know this already!

* * *

**Kyoto**

**March 15, 2053**

**11:45 pm**

She laid out the electronic cards and gazed thoughtfully at the arcana before her. Seated across her was her patron, his face hooded in shadow.

"What does it say, koishi?" he finally asked.

"A danger that will pass. Potential enemies must be made necessary allies for the time being," she said softly, her hand drifting slowly above the cards as she read her patron's fortune. "Consequences from past actions may arise to take its toll. Trust no one."

Her benefactor smiled in the shadow.

The last piece of advice need not come from a fortune-teller's mouth; it could easily have come from his own. It was, after all, his creed.

* * *

**Tokyo Metropolitan Police Headquarters**

**March 17, 2053**

**8:25 am**

The sun was already high in the sky when he entered the building. The glass-and-steel lobby was bathed in harsh white light as he stepped in, a boyish looking police officer who kept his long, dark hair tied in a ponytail. His steps were quick and light, and there was nothing about him to indicate that he had spent the last month or so in the hospital.

There would be other ways, though, for changes to make themselves manifest.

For instance, he knew that things were going to be different the moment he set foot within Homicide. It was there in their eyes. People looked up as he strolled past, and while a few had murmured, "It's good to have you back", he could see them averting their gaze very quickly.

Two minutes into the office, he thought, and he was already struggling with his temper.

Well, this was just cool, he continued in his head acidly. They could do that because they weren't the ones who had no choice in getting an artificial heart. They weren't the ones who lost a perfectly healthy heart the previous month in the first place. Still, it irked him to see the kind of behavior he was seeing now.

_As if I've come back as a monster…_

The thought stuck even as he realized the impact of those words and tried to banish them away quickly.

_Youkai..._

In a way, the statement had been correct.

Inside his chest, beating with a rhythm in proper accordance with the dictates of his body, was a thing that could be called just that. Youkai.

The implanted chip within the artificial heart could pick up the most minute signals from his brain and reflexively alter the beating pattern of the heart as needed--a sinoarterial regulator as close to the real thing as one could possibly get.

Now that would have sounded all wonderful and miraculous had it not been for the fact that the world of 2053 had come to look upon anything with an intelligent microchip as unnatural and potentially dangerous.

Gone were the days of wonder and marvel when people believed that artificial intelligence would be the answer to all the world's problems. By the year 2053, artificial intelligence had become the principal tool of crime, the major cause of accidents--it had assumed the invaluable supporting role to the natural deviousness of the human brain.

In fact, alarm had soared so high that governments all over the world had taken desperate measures to ensure that artificial intelligence be kept within a semblance of human control.

But all of this said and done would not change the fact that humanity had come to depend on it for the smooth running of everyday life. Modern medicine could not have attained its current zenith had it not been for artificial intelligence. A.I. had given a new meaning to the development of artificial limbs, artificial organ transplants--everything, it seemed, except the development of the positronic brain. A law passed in 2041 had seen to it that A.I. would not be developed to assume any human characteristic whatsoever.

Even if the law had not been passed, people had come to fear the potential of A.I. so much that not even the medical advantages could allay the mistrust and suspicion of people surrounding artificial organ transplants.

Or transplantees, for that matter.

Could people possibly be so dumb as to think the A.I. chip would inevitably take full control of the body? Possess it somehow? Well, maybe not, people would rationalize, attempt to brush it aside--but the fact remained that a nameless fear lurked beneath the surface of rationality. Thus the derogatory term _Hanyou--_half human, half machine.

InuYasha's new heart gave a lurch, and he involuntarily reached up a hand to feel its beat. It felt strange only because he knew it was different, and he was sure the people around him had the same idea about him.

_Keh,_ he thought bitterly. _Nobody has the right to say anything, as I lost my heart in the line of duty. Literally._

He continued to walk, past the staring crowd, past his table adjoined to that of his partner's, and onto the desk of the Division Chief, Myouga san.

From his desk, Ishida Miroku continued to stare straight into the data pad he was holding, as Myuoga-san spoke to Inu Yasha in low grave tones. He did not bother to look up as Inu Yasha approached his table after his short interview with their boss.

"You're late," was the only thing Ishida said as way of greeting.

"Yeah, well, I've been busy," said Inu Yasha, swinging his coat onto the backrest of his chair.

"You also need a haircut," pointed out Ishida blandly as he gave his partner the barest of glances.

"Feh! Speak for yourself!" Inu Yasha said sourly, eyeing the tiny wisp of ponytail at the back of his partner's dark head.

"My hair happens to be within the department's standard limit," said Ishida coolly.

Well, at least one thing had remained the same: Ishida Miroku was as annoying as ever. Inu Yasha wasn't sure if he was supposed to be irritated or relieved by that.

"No time to waste," said Ishida, standing up abruptly as Inu Yasha was about to sit down. He threw the data pad over to Inu Yasha. "New assignment. I'm sure Myouga-san has filled you in a little. Don't forget to bring your weapon."

Scowling, Inu Yasha snatched at the electronic pad and held it upright in front of him, taking in the details. "What the hell--?" he said after a moment. "There was an assassination attempt made on the person of Hitomi Kagewaki?! Son of _the_ Hitomi Kaneshiro?"

Ishida nodded as he shrugged into his coat. "Yes, as in son of the CEO of the Hitomi group of companies," he said. "The attempt occurred last night in his room, in the Hitomis' private residence. How the assassins managed to get pass the rigid security is a mystery. Naturally, the whole thing has been kept a secret. The press is going to have a field day with this if they find out."

The Hitomi group of companies was the highly successful, highly controversial corporate beast that had brought on the A.I. Age. It was the largest manufacturer of youkai microchips in Asia, controlling virtually a third of the world's market on the matter.

It was no wonder anyone connected to the CEO of such a powerful company would be under attack for a variety of reasons.

"And you're saying this kind of high-profile job has been assigned to _us_?" Inu Yasha said as he hurried after Ishida to the elevators. "The two of us? You're kidding, right?"

Ishida closed his eyes as he said patiently, "The senior Mr. Hitomi was here personally very early this morning. He's spoken to the Chief of Police and Myouga-san. He said he wanted officers trained in Homicide…with other special talents. Apparently, whoever made the assassination attempt had not been ordinary either."

Inu Yasha was silent as he took this in. Fair enough. If special talents were indeed required, then no team would have been more appropriate in all of Tokyo's finest. Still, Inu Yasha had to wonder what kind of strings dear old Uncle Mushin had pulled to get his nephew this assignment.

When they got to the basement of the building, it was apparent they were going to do this alone.

"How come we're the only ones going?" asked Inu Yasha as they got into their car. "I thought these high-profile investigations are supposed to have the whole red-carpet parade from all sorts of department heads?"

"The photo team and forensics have gone ahead," said Ishida as he started the engine and eased the auto car out. "We're going for low-profile, remember? It can't do to have too many people bustling in at any one time."

"I really don't understand why Homicide has to be called, as nobody _actually_ died."

His patience wearing thin, Ishida opted not to answer.

By the time they got to the streets and heading north to the giant mansion of the tycoon, Inu Yasha had run out of things to argue, and settled down to his daily routine of plaguing Ishida while he was behind the wheel.

"At the rate you're driving, it'll take us forever to get there," he said, shaking his head as Ishida stopped for a traffic light.

Miroku sighed. "And welcome back, Inu Yasha," he said dryly.

* * *

Hitomi Mansion was indeed a most impressive private residence, and a very difficult one to penetrate. Designed in traditional wood and cement, it nevertheless bristled with the latest in tech surveillance. A swarm of security men and bodyguards, laser guns nicely hidden in expensive suits, patrolled every aspect of the house and grounds.

The master of the house had personally met them as they got out from their vehicle--a thin, pale man well into his sixties. They had been ushered into the big sitting room with a young man in tow, presumably the son, as well as a private secretary.

"It had certainly been shocking," explained Mr. Hitomi. "Attempts had been made numerous times before; you will understand it is to be expected, given my position. But never has anything happen this close to my family. Naturally, a man will take all steps necessary to make sure nothing happens to his loved ones."

He turned to his son, a handsome, grave-looking young man in his early thirties who, like Inu Yasha, kept his wavy dark hair unconventionally long. He was already dressed for work.

"Kagewaki represents the future of my empire. More responsibilities are being given to him now that I am retiring. It is imperative that nothing happens to him. To think that he had very nearly…" the old man said, shivering slightly.

"It will help if we get an account of the events," Ishida said as he took out his slim data pad and activated the digital recorder.

"Very well," said Mr. Hitomi, as his secretary, a small woman with shoulder-length white hair, silently activated the panel of screens behind them.

"I was asleep," recalled the younger Hitomi as he started his narration

According to Kagewaki and verified by the surveillance camera clips, the intruder had broken in at around 1:39 am. It had been too dark for him to see who it was. It had been able to get in alone, although surveillance outside the house parameters had picked up two or three fleeing shapes when the suspects made their escape. Whoever or whatever it was had been incredibly fast. The cameras were only able to record a dim, blurred figure with long hair tied in a ponytail as it made for young Hitomi's bed.

He had been incredibly lucky. He had awakened just in time. In the ensuing tumult, he had narrowly missed the arm that had made its way onto the pillow where his head should have been.

The intruder had not been given further chances. The bodyguards had stormed in, flashes of laser fire, a shout above the din, "_S__top your fire!_ The young master is in there!"

In the cameras, a struggle had ensued as several guards threw themselves at the suspect. Again, it had been too fast. A second later, it had run past the range of the cameras, had launched itself out the door, outside the house, without getting caught.

"It's not human," they heard a guard gasp in the camera clip as he picked himself up.

The secretary pushed a button on her pad and the recording ended.

"No human would have been dumb enough to even attempt doing anything like that," agreed Inu Yasha in a whisper only Ishida could hear.

Miroku motioned him to be quiet with a slight shake of his head. Aloud, he said, "Of course it's human. What else could it be? And all circumstances point to the suspect as being hanyou. The legs and arms are, in all probabilities, prostethics. The speed tells us that much, as well as the hole left behind on the pillow."

He glanced down at his pad. "The law requires registration of all medical operations being done for prosthetics and implants using microchips. It is logical for us to start tracking along that angle; unless of course, the suspect had his operation done illegally."

Ishida was careful to keep his tone neutral, but Inu Yasha could see a muscle twitch around the older Hitomi's mouth.

_In a way, it serves this shark right_, thought Inu Yasha acidly. What with the sky-rocketing prices demanded by his company on all their products, it was little wonder some underground and completely illegal little companies had mushroomed to partake of the crumbs left behind by the giant.

For his heart transplant alone, Inu Yasha had been charged with a walloping sum, even though Tokyo metro police had covered a portion of the expenses. Therefore, one had to understand why he couldn't really be sympathetic.

In terms of killers, Inu Yasha was sure Mr. Hitomi and his company had their fair share of enemies. Sending in an assassin with a death wish was feasible enough, but what was quite refreshing about it all was the possibility that the assassin was using something the company had produced as its weapon.

"We'd like to inspect the site of the event, if you don't mind," said Ishida.

* * *

Inu Yasha gaped at the bedroom suite. "Just look at the size of this room!" he exclaimed, taking in its massive proportions, its splendid interiors.

"Exactly," said Miroku as he aimed his recorder on the walls blasted by laser fire. "Do you know how many steps it would take for us to reach the bed from here? Yet the cameras show the intruder covering the distance with just a few bounds."

"Ha! He's got no weapon apart from his fists and legs, huh? What say you to that, Tetsusaiga?" Inu Yasha asked as he fondly cradled the handle of his laser sword, tucked snugly in his belt.

"Quite extraordinary," remarked Ishida as he continued to store away data. He was now concentrating on the floor.

"We're never going to get him by going through lawful medical records," said Inu Yasha. "Hell, the cameras couldn't even get a decent picture of him…"

"What makes you think it's a 'him'?" asked Miroku, mildly amused.

"Will you stop calling him an 'it'?" snapped Inu Yasha. "A hanyou's still human, isn't he?"

Miroku raised his brows at that. "My apologies," he said gravely.

Inu Yasha glared at the veiled sarcasm before getting back to the topic.

"What? You think he's a 'her' now?" he asked Miroku. "What's your basis? The fact that he's got a ponytail?"

"I'm just saying we never had a clear shot of the suspect. Whether the suspect is a man or woman is irrelevant. We still have to find out who did this," said Miroku very, very gently.

Inu Yasha's brows twitched at Ishida's tone, but before he could say anything, the little secretary arrived.

"Sumimasen, but Kagewaki-sama is asking if it will be alright with you to accompany him to the company headquarters for presentation?" She said in hushed tones.

"What presentation?" Ishida asked.

"A press conference has been called. Somebody has alerted the media," she answered quietly.

"What is this?" thundered Inu Yasha as soon as the woman left. "I get the feeling we're being used as bodyguards here! Doesn't he have enough of those weirdos around?!"

* * *

**Hitomi Corporation, Tokyo**

**Central Conference Room**

**10:45 am**

Smelling a whiff of blood, the media had come in droves for the kill. Apparently, the leak had been too much for the corporation to cover up.

Following protocol, Ishida Mushin had arrived to speak on behalf of the Tokyo Metro Police. And while the incident had been reduced to vague terms such as a "break-in", the implications were too obvious. The chief of Police's statements of "complete cooperation with the Hitomi family" and "have sent the most qualified officers for the case" were drowned in ever increasing queries from the news people.

"It's just as well your uncle came," muttered Inu Yasha, staring at the proceedings with his arms crossed. "Imagine if we were the ones being roasted up there. We can't let the whole world in on who's investigating the case, can we?"

"The fact that the press has caught on is bad enough. No wonder the Hitomis had to call the police in," said Miroku from their corner. "They made it just in time."

"To make everything prim and legal, so to speak?"

"Right."

"Otherwise, there would have been speculation."

"Hai."

"You do realize we're going to fry along with Hitomi?" questioned Inu Yasha. "I mean, this is seriously way out of our league!"

"I know," said Miroku in a low tone, shrugging. "But we don't really have any choice, do we? You know why we were assigned to this case."

Just then, somebody entered noiselessly through the side doors. A young woman, breathless from running, paused beside them as she composed herself.

"Has the conference started?" she asked Inu Yasha.

"Barely. The Chief of Police just finished with his statement," Inu Yasha said, and blinked as the woman turned to him, her grey eyes smiling.

"Really?" she asked. "Then Mr. Hitomi hasn't made his statement yet?"

"Uh, no."

"Good! I was afraid I'd be late. The whole thing was just horrible wasn't it?" she said. "I'm Higurashi Kagome, by the way. I'm in Mr. Hitomi's Programming department."

"I--Inu Yasha," said the stunned officer as Higurashi shook hands with him vigorously.

"You're from Tokyo Metro Police!" she exclaimed, her smile widening as she noted the emblem on his coat. "Will you be a part of the investigation of the break-in?"

"Uhh…"

"Well, I sure hope you'll catch whoever it was really soon!" she said brightly. "I'll see you around then."

A low whistle sounded from Ishida as the girl weaved her way over to her boss. "Cute babe," he said.

Inu Yasha turned to his partner with a thunderous expression.

"What?" asked Miroku, puzzled.

* * *

**Hitomi Corporation, Tokyo**

**March 17, 2053**

**11:47 a.m.**

After one hour of grueling interviews, the news conference ended amid a tumult of camera flashes and mayhem. Following the besieged group of police and the Hitomis down the concrete stairs in front of their corporation, Inu Yasha just had to wonder how deep they were in a situation they could not handle.

On the other hand, Ishida Miroku did not seem particularly concerned. He had spotted the young and pretty Ms. Higurashi trailing behind the crowd, and in no time at all had gone over and started an animated conversation with the programmer.

_That's Ishida for you, all right_, thought Inu Yasha sourly. He had no choice but to follow his partner, and soon found himself walking silently beside Miroku and Ms. Higurashi.

He could feel the woman glancing over at his direction more than once, but he resolutely kept his gaze averted. After all, he wasn't trained in this area of socializing with women; frequently, he left it all to Ishida, who seemed to be born with this special talent.

"Really?" Higurashi was saying. "So you and Inu Yasha belong to the Special Arms Unit of Tokyo Metro Police? That's very interesting, but how is it different from the regular police units?"

"It allows us to carry special weapons, for one," Miroku replied. "The special unit was designed to train the top five percent of police academy graduates based on their respective fighting abilities. So these people aren't just regular police officers, they're special agents. We all know laser guns are quickly becoming passé. Certain jobs require something extra, so…"

"And do you think this attack on Mr. Hitomi was…?"

"Well, we can't really go into details, but yes," Miroku said. His tone turned half-joking. "So! I don't suppose you have somebody in mind who's behind the whole thing, do you?"

The next few seconds were a muddle to Inu Yasha. Apparently, the programmer had murmured something, and he caught Ishida suddenly leaning in closer to her.

"What?" he heard his partner say.

The next instant, Higurashi was shaking her head firmly. "Of course, big corporations would have many enemies," she said. "You will see to it nothing happens to Mr. Hitomi, won't you? Otherwise, I may have to start looking for another job."

Before Miroku could reply to this banter, a shout came out from Inu Yasha.

_"Look out!"_

He looked up just in time to see an attack about to be launched. There, cutting the corner of the street and heading straight at the Hitomis with the force of a tornado, was a blurred, familiar figure in black. The speed of its advance was so horribly fast that in a blink of an eye it had already covered the distance needed.

A few screamed as it knocked aside several people blocking its way. It advanced implacably on Hitomi Kagewaki, seemingly unmindful of the blast of laser fire from a few stunned policemen. Amidst flashes of camera light, its dark hair tied in a ponytail whipped in the wind as it took a savage swipe at the younger Hitomi.

But it did not gain any more ground.

_Clang!_

The arm it sent straight at the young man was blocked by a broad band of laser.

Inu Yasha stood there in front of Hitomi, holding off the would-be assassin with Tetsusaiga. More screams rent the air.

"Get them out of the way, somebody!" He yelled, indicating the Hitomis.

"Mr. Hitomi! This way, please!" Ishida's voice sounded above the din. Already, he and Hitomi's bodyguards were already hauling away the two targets to safety.

Inu Yasha's eyes widened involuntarily as Tetsusaiga wavered under the force of the arm. Who--or more importantly, what--was this creature, to have an arm that laser could not slice through? Several inches across him, a pair of bright blue eyes blazed into his.

"Get away, you bastard," growled a deep voice. Suddenly, the figure turned in a graceful arc and executed a powerful kick.

Inu Yasha swung his heavy laser sword at the last possible moment and effectively blocked the assassin's attack.

Realizing that his chance had been lost a second time, the figure in black swore and bounded away, the force of his retreat sending up gravel and dirt.

Inu Yasha watched, astounded, at the cloud of dirt whirling away at the speed of light. Before people could recover sufficiently to understand what had happened, the assassin was gone, leaving behind deep gashes of sliced gravel and cement on the pavements and street.

The assault sent the media into hyperdrive, but the Hitomis had had enough. They barricaded themselves inside their corporation building and refused another round of press con.

* * *

From a reception room inside the bowels of the building, Ishida Miroku watched the television screen impassively as the news people outside continued their coverage of the latest, shocking set of events to besiege Hitomi Kagewaki.

"Hmph," he said as he absently turned away from the screen to face his partner.

Inu Yasha had just finished his video police report and was sending it along through Ishida's electronic pad (as usual, he had forgotten to bring his along).

"You don't seem particularly tired," Ishida remarked as Inu Yasha tossed his pad over to him.

Inu Yasha feigned surprise as he thumped his chest and inhaled deeply. "Yeah," he said after a while. "Might be because of a youkai heart, among other things. You may want to measure the extent of my new physical condition in our next combat exercise session."

He suddenly gave Miroku a calculating look. He wouldn't have been surprised if his partner had withheld assistance in the assault just so he could see for himself just how Inu Yasha was faring after his transplant.

Ishida raised his brows at the comment but declined to comment.

"C'mon. It wasn't all that tiring," huffed Inu Yasha. "The loser just gave Tetsusaiga a couple of swings. Big deal. I've seen worse."

"He?" Ishida inquired.

"I'm sure of it now," Inu Yasha said. "It's a he."

"And his arms and legs?"

"A new kind of alloy, for all I know. Tetsusaiga barely made a scratch."

Miroku felt himself frowning. "What the hell kind of material could that be? So far, nothing of the kind has ever been developed," he said.

"Well, we're certain now it exists," said Inu Yasha.

The door whisked open to reveal Ms. Kanna, Hitomi's personal secretary.

"The building has been secured. Mr. Hitomi says you can leave. We have arranged for a helicopter to transport you back to Tokyo Metro Police," she said quietly. "The streets are a bit impassable just now."

"Cool," said Inu Yasha as he got off his seat.

"Mr. Hitomi would like one more word with you before you go," she added before disappearing down the corridor.

Inu Yasha stared after her before glancing over at Miroku. "That," he said, "is one weird secretary."

"Scary," agreed Miroku.

"Let's get the hell out of here."

They were ushered into a private sitting room. The elderly Mr. Hitomi rose from his seat and started forward when they entered.

"How can I possibly thank you enough?" he asked gravely. "Your performance back there was quite exemplary!"

Inu Yasha muttered something to the effect that it was all part of their work under his breath.

"No need to be so modest," said Mr. Hitomi, breaking into a smile. "In fact, we are thinking of giving you and Officer Ishida a reward in exchange for your heroic services earlier on. I will be sending Kagewaki to Kyoto for a while. For some rest and relaxation, you understand. We would be honored if you can spend the weekend with him there."

Both officers bowed low.

"We are honored," answered Ishida. "As it happens, though, we're on duty th--"

"I have already arranged the schedule with your department head," replied Mr. Hitomi blandly. "He says there is no problem in that aspect. So how about it, gentlemen?"

Indeed, there was nothing else left to be said. When the Hitomis called, even the Chief of Homicide could do nothing but bow to their demands.

* * *

Posted 10/10/02

Revised 03/27/08


	3. Maiko

**Fortune's Favorites**

by

Nana

Chapter 2

**Maiko**

* * *

**Author's Notes: **I have made some additions to chapter 1 in order not to lose chapter 2's coherence. It contains a sizable amount of action, so I would suggest you go over chapter 1 again first before you read this new chap. 

Some scenes from this chapter are also a wee bit...erm…mature (but they're very mild, and if you're familiar with our sukebe houshi's antics, then there's really nothing new here). I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Please do read and review. Thanks!

**Disclaimer: **No need to tell you guys that I don't own a single thing here!

* * *

**Kyoto**

**March 20, 2053**

**7:45 a.m.**

The pattern of the cards was turning out to be most interesting.

She sat there in her dim room, contemplating this new and entirely unexpected twist that fate was so fond of dealing mankind.

It had certainly been unusual for the card to turn up at all in any of her sessions. For it to turn up now…

_L' Amoureux…_

She stared at the upright card where two lovers were smiling at each other, and considered if she should tell of this new and startling revelation to her patron.

In the end, she decided not to. It would certainly add more spice to the game if he, too, would not be able to know everything at any given time.

* * *

**Hitomi Private Residence**

**Kyoto**

**March 20, 2053**

**7:45 a.m**.

Ishida Miroku sighed as the private plane touched down on its pad.

A weekend of rest and relaxation in the lap of luxury seemed ideal, but he had a feeling they were not going to get much of either. Still, following the target around would mean greater chances of catching the culprits.

As they followed Hitomi Kagewaki down the plane and onto the broad expanse of his family's estate, Ishida could not help but wonder who in their right mind would not consider killing for this. For any of this.

The Hitomi fortune was one of the biggest in the world. So of course it was understandable that there would be more than a few enemies on the side. But to have an enemy with unbreakable arms and legs…that kind of technology was far from being common.

He snapped back to the present to find their host introducing them to a long queue of servants lining the entrance hall of the mansion--part of the traditional Japanese way of welcoming guests.

"Can you believe the size of this house," whispered Inu Yasha, awed, as they followed their host inside amid respectful bows and murmurs of "Irasshaimase".

"Breakfast will start at 8:30," Hitomi said. "I'm sure you gentlemen would like to settle down first. We will be seeing each other in the main dining room."

They were directed to two huge, separate bedrooms by a hushed servant.

Miroku made his way over to the huge glass window overlooking the wide lawn, and found two or three men in suits already on patrol.

How can they possibly stand an intruder made of unbreakable steel? He wondered briefly before changing into something more suitable for a formal breakfast.

Inu Yasha could not help but feel uncomfortable as they were ushered into the main dining hall.

Back at home on a Saturday, he would have been happy feasting on a carton of instant ramen with the TV on for breakfast. Here, he would indeed be served a feast, but he was feeling far from being at home.

Besides, he was not used to wearing stiff white shirts and formal pants. He resisted the urge to reach over his back and scratch.

Ishida appeared more at ease, and moved to where he was being seated.

When he was seated over the broad, low table, Inu Yasha let his gaze wander, bored. How much of this was he going to take before he yawned?

The entrance of Hitomi instantly dispelled the boredom, and Inu Yasha found himself staring agog at the person trailing behind him.

"Well, well," he heard Miroku mutter distinctly. "This promises to be most interesting."

Higurashi Kagome smiled and gave the officers a small wave as she followed her employer into the hall.

According to Hitomi, she was here because they had to discuss certain aspects of the programming department in their Kyoto firm.

Of course, there were always visor phones for communication, but Hitomi did not give reasons for not using them.

"This is certainly a surprise," Higurashi said as she took the seat next to Inu Yasha.

"You're telling us," he said as he continued to stare at her.

The course of the meal was painfully slow, but Higurashi somehow made up for it by inquiring after the daring rescue scene from three days ago.

"That was really…something," she said after Inu Yasha finished with his much-abridged version.

"Yeah, well…" Inu Yasha shrugged and turned away.

Man, he wasn't really used to this kind of thing…

He bristled as he heard Miroku take over, and stopped himself just in time.

_Bristled?_ He asked himself, frowning.

"So, Higurashi-san. I'm looking forward to resuming our conversation before it was rudely interrupted three days ago."

Kagome laughed nervously at that and started on another line of conversation. Every now and then, she would turn to Inu Yasha with a question in her eyes, but they were given no opportunity to speak again.

After breakfast, she filed dutifully behind Hitomi to start their meeting.

He paused at the door and turned to the men. "I was thinking of having a night-out at an o-chaya in Gion later this evening. I hope it's alright with you."

Ishida positively brightened at the news. "We don't mind at all," he said quickly.

"Good." Hitomi smiled. "Eight thirty, then."

O-chayas were rare places to find an even rarer spectacle--the Geishas. Practically considered national treasures, theirs was a vanishing, expensive art which only the ultra-rich could now afford as entertainment.

"What?" Miroku asked when he turned to find Inu Yasha with a thunderous expression on his face.

"We don't mind at all?" he echoed ominously.

"Well, do you?" Miroku asked innocently.

"Don't think that just because you're on vacation for two days you're free to indulge on your lecherous tastes," said Inu Yasha bluntly.

Miroku coolly raised a brow. "And what is that supposed to mean?"

"What was all that resuming your conversation thing with Higurashi?"

A small smile appeared on Miroku's lips as his look turned sly. "Ahh," he said. "I'm finally getting this."

"Getting what?"

Miroku turned away, shrugging. "I never thought you'd be capable of it, but she is pretty after all."

_"What?"_

Miroku rolled his eyes. "You figure it out," he said, sighing.

A servant appeared to inform the police officers that their services were not required for the rest of the day, and that they were free to go about Kyoto as they chose.

"But what about that assassin?" inquired Inu Yasha loudly.

"The master will be quite safe here," said the servant neutrally.

"Yeah, right," Inu Yasha muttered. "I bet they were saying that the night that weirdo entered their grounds in Tokyo."

* * *

In the end, after a day of visiting temples and the local sites of Kyoto, they decided to return to the Residence early. Ishida went off to take a nap in his room, leaving Inu Yasha with a couple of hours to fend for himself. 

He did not feel particularly tired, so sleeping was out of the question. He turned the TV on, and paced the length of his room, wondering.

There were so many questions left hanging.

For a moment, his attention was arrested as a news snippet appeared on TV about Hitomi Kagewaki flying off somewhere with two Tokyo Metro Police officers. The scene shifted to a vague shot of a Hitomi helicopter taking off from their headquarters in Tokyo. As the newscaster continued his speculations, Inu Yasha snorted and turned away.

_Just how do these paparazzi get their scoop?_

He did not dwell too long on the annoying traits of the media, however. There, underneath his large glass window and making her way into the broad expanse of lawn and garden, was a familiar figure.

_Kagome…_

Kagome sat on a stone bench--one of many scattered throughout the garden-- and stared thoughtfully into the pond nearby.

She finally let out a sigh and shook her head, smiling wistfully.

_Don't even think about nonsense like that…_she told herself almost sternly.

"What's with the sigh?" inquired a dry voice from behind.

…

Kagome started and whipped around, finding that somebody had arrived unnoticed from behind.

"I-Inu Yasha-san!" she said.

Inu Yasha raised his brows at the way she had addressed him.

"Do you make it a habit of sneaking up behind people?" Her tone came out more sharply than she had intended.

"Always," he said laconically.

Kagome frowned. Was it just her imagination or had the officer's behavior changed a bit? She had thought him rather interesting, albeit of few words, from the beginning. But now…

He continued to stand behind and a little to her side, his gaze fixed on the still surface of the pond.

"Do you always come out here?" He inquired next.

Kagome turned to him sharply.

"What?"

"Here. Kyoto. With him."

"This is my first time," Kagome said. "What are you trying to insinuate?"

He shrugged. "I'm not doing anything of the kind."

"Yes, you are." Suddenly, she was liking him less and less.

She turned away. So much for his being interesting. And all the while, she had thought his pointed silences were just an indication that he was being shy. Well, it all went to show just how wrong she had been.

After a while, the silence became uncomfortable.

"Won't you sit down? You're looming," she snapped as he continued to stand behind her.

"Don't have much time for that," he said, glancing at his watch. "It's almost time to get dressed for the night-out."

"And it's almost time for my flight back to Tokyo," she said as she stood up.

"Y--you're leaving?"

"My business meeting with the boss is over. I have no other reason to stay, do I?" she asked pointedly.

Inu Yasha stared at her. She looked as though she had wanted to say something more, but she changed her mind the last minute.

"Sayonara, Inu Yasha-san. I don't expect we will be seeing more of each other in the near future," she said formally and turning away, retraced her steps back to the mansion.

Inu Yasha continued to stand as though he were rooted to the place beside the stone bench, and swore softly under his breath when he recovered sufficiently to realize he had blown his chance.

* * *

Ishida Miroku shook his head disapprovingly as Inu Yasha recounted the events that transpired in the garden. Above them, a full moon rode the clear evening sky. 

They were walking a respectful distance behind Hitomi, who was swamped as it was with his own set of bodyguards.

Kyoto had placed a restriction on cars especially in special districts such as Gion, and in order to get to the o-chaya that had been booked for the evening, they had to set out on foot from a certain point past downtown Shijo.

"Is that what you call starting a conversation with a girl you like! What the hell were you thinking of?" he snapped at his younger partner. "What you did was almost…almost criminal!"

"Well, I didn't know what else to say!" Inu Yasha said defensively.

"So you went ahead and spoke your mind out," said Miroku. "And you dare call me a sukebe when you've got a wealth of dirty thoughts stored in that brain of yours? How could you possibly imply she's got something going on with Hitomi?"

"FEH!" Inu Yasha looked away. He knew it was a mistake confiding in Ishida. So much for thinking he was going to get a little bit of masculine reassurance from him.

"You also blew your chance in getting something important from her," pointed out Miroku.

"And what is that?"

"The woman knows more than she's letting on," Miroku said. "If I'd have known you were going to chat with her, I would have told you to inquire about something. But judging from the turnout of your crude social performance, I'm almost glad I didn't."

"Why you bas--!"

"Easy on the temper," Miroku said coolly. "At least you'll have a reason to see her again when we get back to Tokyo. You can pry this from her at you leisure."

"What are you talking about?"

"Naraku," Miroku said softly, succinctly.

"_What?"_

"I asked her jokingly three days ago if she would happen to know a reason why her boss could be under attack, and she mentioned a certain Naraku."

Inu Yasha stared at his partner in disbelief. "How the hell," he found himself saying, "can you get people to talk about stuff like that to you?"

"A gift, if you will," Miroku said, shrugging easily. "Enough about work. We're here! Finally! Let's party!"

* * *

It turned out that the Hitomis were regular guests of the o-chaya, or traditional Japanese teahouse, that they were now in. There were not many more left in Japan, and most of the surviving ones were clustered here, in the Gion district of old Kyoto. 

For the night, Hitomi had booked his favorite geisha and two more maikos to entertain them in a private suite within the o-chaya. While his goons lingered outside the closed doors and downstairs, Hitomi chatted freely with his two guests amidst the music of shamisen and the graceful, slow turns of painted ladies.

"You're drawing flies," said Inu Yasha as he slanted Miroku a look.

"Nani?" His partner asked absently as he shut his mouth, unable to tear his eyes away from one of the maikos--what was her name again? Tochiko?

Already Miroku had downed several cups of sake, so whatever inhibitions he had had were rapidly dissolving. Not, Inu Yasha decided, that he had a lot of those from the very beginning, so the poor maiko had better watch out.

After the dance number, the maikos settled in between the guests as the geisha went over to her danna to pour him another drink.

Hitomi was asking Inu Yasha a question about the police force, so Miroku had plenty of time to lavish his full attention on the maiko Tochiko.

"Have you been here long?" he asked politely as she filled his cup.

She allowed a small smile to cross her crimson lips. "A year and half," she said, her voice pleasantly deep, with a just a trace of huskiness to send a man's pulses leaping.

"And do you get to go out once in a while?"

She answered with an enigmatic smile, not deigning to answer his vague question.

Miroku felt pleasantly relaxed and totally unaccountable of his actions as he slid a hand down the straight line of her back, feeling the silk slide down his palm and fingers.

"You know, this dress…really becomes you…" he murmured.

The maiko froze as she felt his hand slide down farther to settle on her butt. It was a mere touch, as over as quickly as it had begun, but Miroku could sense that it had angered her. Beneath the eyelids lined in heavy red, Miroku could see her gaze hardening.

"Tochiko," the geisha called, effectively shattering the trance that had developed between the two. "The tachikata…"

She was being called on to dance.

She rose gracefully to her feet and padded over to the front. Miroku shook his head, aware that he had carried things a bit too far.

Man…but she had looked so beautiful…

What happened next was totally unexpected. They didn't know how it started exactly, but suddenly the geisha was screaming, and Miroku looked up to see a couple of sharp lance-like things twisting in the air, flying straight at Hitomi's throat.

Somebody shouted--it must have been Inu Yasha--and Miroku lunged to knock Hitomi out of the way.

Hearing the din, the bodyguards stormed in, and confusion reigned.

"Ishida! It's her! The maiko!" shouted Inu Yasha from above the screams as he made for Tochiko.

But Tochiko had suddenly lost her delicate small movements. She grabbed at Inu Yasha with the swift and surprisingly strong grip of a man and hurled him against the wall.

Inu Yasha was not to be taken by surprise. He rebounded and drew out an activated Tetsusaiga.

"Inu Yasha! No! Not in here!" Miroku shouted as he made his way over.

But Inu Yasha was not to be given a chance with his sword. The maiko threw a couple of pellets into the air, and Inu Yasha had the foul luck to have them explode in his face.

As Inu Yasha landed on the ground coughing and retching, Miroku could see the maiko running to the open window. With one leap, she had traversed the low balcony.

Miroku followed her out, leaping over the railing, landing on the ground below in a practiced roll, and he was running after her.

She was dispelling her clothes, layer after layer, her strides getting longer as she got rid of the hampering garments. Silk bellowed past Miroku as he continued his chase.

She would occasionally turn to throw some spiked weapons at him, but he was quick to dodge them.

Dammit…if only he had a laser gun! But he had not thought to bring one. Not since he was bringing Shakujou, his laser staff.

Under the light of the full moon, he could see her now, shorn of the wig she had been wearing. Long, dark hair fanned out from a ponytail, a long graceful body sheathed entirely in black. She looked so very familiar…

_That assassin…_

But no.

Something about the manner of her movements, the lightness of her feet, indicated that she was a different person.

Nevertheless, she was going to be deadly.

Miroku took out his weapon.

"Stop it right there! Police!" He yelled.

Unbelievably, unnervingly, she answered back with a low laugh.

"Honto, officer?" she asked as she leapt on top of the wooden wall marking a dead-end street. "Are you going to read my rights from here?"

Miroku brought out an activated laser Shakujou and sliced through the wood of the fence neatly.

She leapt away effortlessly as the wood gave way from underneath her feet, but this time, Miroku was too near, too fast for her.

He caught her in mid-air. In the confusion of legs and arms that resulted as they landed on the ground in a heap, he managed to pin her down with a hand on her chest.

Miroku's eyes widened as he realized what he was holding onto.

This, whoever this was…she was unmistakably female!

Noting where his hand was and taking advantage of his moment of hesitation, the woman beneath him gave an indignant cry and brought a free hand down savagely on his cheek.

_Crraaaaackk!_

As Miroku's head reeled from the shocking impact, she yelled, "_Hiraikotsu!"_

Before he could collect himself, she slid out from under the police officer. Miroku's time to catch the girl had run out. Just then a big, blurred object appeared from nowhere and came hurtling toward him.

Miroku looked up and he knew it was too late to dodge the gigantic weapon, and so he did the only thing he could think of.

The weapon crashed against an upraised Shakujou, inactivating the weapon and sending it out of his hands.

Miroku landed back on the floor with a thud.

Dammit…but this wasn't turning out very well, was it? He thought hazily as he struggled against the effect of alcohol and numbing pain to get up.

His eyes shifted to a pair of dark boots as they made their way over to him.

_Kami…what's going to happen now?_

But curiously enough, nothing happened. The owner of the dark boots stopped a few steps away from him.

She had only one word to say to him before she turned away and bounded off into the darkness of Kyoto.

"Sukebe," she hissed.

* * *

**Vocabulary:**

**Danna-** patron

**Geisha- **Geishas are artisans unique to the culture of Japan. For more info on geishas, here is a link which I had found very useful in my research for this chapter:

**Maiko-** a geisha-in-training

**O-chaya**- a Japanese teahouse

**Tachikata- **a form of dance

**Shamisen- **traditional musical instrument


End file.
